A Host Named NCshvDavid: Its Friday, and Welcome to the Fannation Reporters - A new show with an new twist.

rstowe - happy Tuesday everyone! That Sox fan that buried the jersey should know you can't curse the Yankees unless your name is ARod, Mussina or Mattingly.

Bigalke:  Bigalke here on a glorious Tuesday... now can we heap a little praise on Trevor Immelman for a change? Tiger is all well and good, but it was Immelman who had the chance on Sunday to become the first player to post sub-70 rounds in all four rounds of the Masters...

rstowe - there's no other golfers besides Tiger...just like there's no other baseball teams other than the Yankees and Red Sox....

Big Ben68: The draft is only two weeks away...9 days to be exact! So my football withdrawals will soon be over...but only for two days. Also, go Capitals.

AHNN: We also have MoonDizzle on remote on a few topics as well, traffic on the internet must have slowed him down

This week our playoff picture came complete with Atlanta and Denver getting in and Golden State and Indiana being left to the Lotto- Now Rstowe- with the Warriors having at least 48 wins- is this fair with the East being so mediocre at the bottom?

rstowe: Yes it is.....Golden State plays 52 games against teams in the west and know going into the season that it is going to be tough to make the playoffs in the stacked West so they need to do the best they can in those games specifically.....they also have losses to Indiana, Minnesota and the Clippers! If you can't beat those teams you don't deserve to be in.

The teams in the East that make the playoffs can't be blamed for being able to get in. Those teams won enough games to make it, it's not their fault that it takes less games to get in.

Bigalke - With all respect to rstowe, I am going to have to disagree. The system is skewed to give teams in the East an easier chance to make the playoffs. If Golden State were in the East, for example, they would be a FOUR SEED... while last year's Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers would be on the outside looking in were they to play in the West.

The system is flawed when three teams barely scratching .500 can make the playoffs in one conference, while fifty wins might keep you playing golf in the other...

rstowe - How can the system be skewed? The teams were put in these conferences long ago - it is cylclical wait in 5 years the East will be a beast and the West will suck like Paris Hilton on a Friday night.

Moondizzle: The system is fine. Intact. How can it possibly be skewed for the East's advantage. We saw what the migration of talent can mean for the Eastern Conference - namely Kevin Garnett. The Celtics are the odds-on favorite to win it all according to some people. If the infusion of talent were to continue, things could return to normal. Think about it: this is completely random. The East is generally considered horrible, correct? Who were the first two picks in last year's draft? Oden & Durant. Franchise talents. Where did they go? The Western Conference. If there were ever a system skewed - and its not - conspiracy theory would have to point toward the Pacific.

AHNN: I think Ben has nodded off, so moving on- This year may mean the end of the Sonics in Seattle - I am on record as stating that If a team leaves- they leave the History there- much like the Browns did when they left- But BigAlke,  David Stern seems to be the villan here to most people- If you were David Stern, How would YOU handle the situation?

Bigalke - David Stern in this situation deserves his villain status. Essentially, the Sonics are moving simply because Seattle wouldn't shell out even MORE money beyond the $74.5 million it spent renovating Key Arena a dozen years ago... and straight into an arena in Oklahoma City that it has long been Stern's pet project to fill with an NBA team.

Seattle is a franchise which, save this year when fans knew it would be futile, consistently sells its arena at 90-95% of capacity. Now Stern wants to move the franchise from a metropolitan area of 3.3 million potential customers (15th in the U.S.) to Oklahoma City, where 2.1 million FEWER people reside... he deserves his villainy...

Seattle should be made to have a franchise, and it is LEAGUES and not CITIES which should be paying for their stadia...

rstowe - Stern isn't the villain here.....the owner of the Sonics is....he is just using a possible move to get more out of the city of Seattle. He saw how well OKC supported the Hornets while they were there and knows he can use that and hold Seattle hostage to get what he wants. If I'm not mistaken, Stern does not have the final say in if a team is allowed to move, the owners have to take a vote. And of course, all the other owners will want the Sonics to move, so that when their respective leases are up, they can pull the same stunt to get out of town if they so desire. Stern does have a say in it, but his power only goes so far.

Moondizzle: Decisions, decisions, decisions. I happen to think the commissioner of every sport, acting on BEHALF of all the owners, has a hand in all operations. He can be the villain, the savior, the goat, or whatever else we can find to call him. In this case - an owner buys a team with an eye for moving. The owners will likely vote to approve the move to OC. Does Stern have the influence to sway the owners' votes? Or does he follow the overall feeling of the owners? Tough call. Cuban knows the deal - that team should stay there mostly for financial & historical reasons. But the owners predominantly believe the move is ok. Stern follows suit. I think Stern is a party to the villainous nature of the move - but he's just like a Democrat/Republican following the party like endorsing a candidate he may very well dislike.

AHNN: Next up the NFL Draft -

 The Dolphins are in talks with seemingly every player in the top 15 - and still most believe that they want to trade down most of all- Barring a trade- Bigalke, what do you do if you are Parcells?

Bigalke - I have heard pundits talking recently about the Dolphins completely abstaining from using their number-one draft pick. Because Parcells and the Dolphins -- along with most every other team in the NFL -- believe that there is nothing substantive to differentiate between those players who would go #1 and #5 or even #1 and #10. What Parcells would be doing is saving the team up to $30 million in signing bonuses...

But the Dolphins desperately NEED help... ANY help. Ranked 23rd in defense last year and 28th in offense, assured of little save ignominy in the AFC East, the Dolphins should shore up their defense before turning to the offensive side of the ball...

First-round quarterbacks have big upside... but they usually flame out more than later-round quarterbacks, humorously enough. Remember, neither Favre nor Montana nor Brady were first-rounders. Defense, however, is the place where a team can feel a quicker upside. But the most important position in football, in terms of winning the initial battle, is to shore up the offensive line. Were I in Parcells' shoes, I would be taking a long look at an offensive tackle... maybe even a Long look...

Just look at how a new offensive lineman helped the Browns last year...

rstowe - if they can't get rid of the pick, you have to go O-Line. The way you win is by protecting the QB (whoever he may be). Bigalke is right - look at what the Browns did last year and use that as a game plan for the draft. The Dolphins do have an ageing D and a young QB, but they need an O-Line to protect that QB and will also help a healthy Ronnie Brown be one of the best RBs in the league (like he was on his way to last year until the injury).

Moondizzle: I had a meeting. It interrupted my shenanigans. Anyway, if I'm Parcells, I pull the cloak over me and start meddling in the affairs of Dorothy, Scarecrow & company. Toto stayed home...nobody knows where Mike Vick will be playing. This guy will offer contracts to the top 5 players and see who bites. If that fails, he'll narrow it down to the guys he really wants (think 1 of the 2 Longs, Dorsey, or Gholston) and possibly alter the contracts a bit. If he really cant get any of these guys to go - he could trade. And if I had to pick a team - he'd trade with the Falcons. Healthy stable of picks. Many needs - but a need for a big splash on the offensive line specifically. He'll get the guy he wants or play with some new picks and rehaul the roster in preparation for the following season.

AHNN: Next up - THis is the 10 year anniversary of the Manning/Leaf draft (Ben Perks up) - a choice that gave one team the title and seemingly doomed another- until they traded another manning for a RB and QB that play in Hawaii- that Manning ALSO won a Super Bowl, But this Draft is looking at the Long V Long contest MoonDizzle, do you think that either of these players can be as great as Manning or as bad as Leaf?

Moondizzle: The likelihood of any 2 players resembling the night & day careers of Manning & Leaf is so unfathomable - that I'd be hard pressed to believe either of these players could have such an impact on the next decade.

First off, these were 2 quarterbacks (seemingly) neck and neck for the 1st overall crown. QB being the premium position that it is - its arguable that the 2 could determine the future of 2 franchises.

This year, the brothers Long (relation not so much) play 2 different positions that are considered prominent roles. Defensive End and Offensive Tackle are 2 of the most important positions on the field - along with QB and MLB.

They can definitely have major impacts on their respective teams for the next 10 years. They can, essentially, make or break a Super Bowl season or two. However - and its a big however - to live up to the legacy of Ryan Leaf, one of these guys would have to be more awful than world war. He was THAT bad. He literally ruined the San Diego Chargers for years. And to be as good as Manning, one of them would arguably have to be the best at their positions ever.

Is it a tough call? Of course. Could one succeed and the other fizzle? Happens all the time. But could one be Mother Theresa and the other Britney Spears? Highly unlikely.

rstowe - I agree with Moon on this one. It would be against the odds that one of the Longs end up being considered one of the best at his position while the other one goes down with Leaf, Mandarich and Mamula as one of the biggest busts ever.

One of the 2 might happen to these guys but not one of each. The odds of that are just astronomical.

Bigalke - Back to the Long debate... as we near draft time, everyone will hash and rehash the momentous decision by two teams which took them in disparate directions. Peyton Manning stayed in the heartland, moving north from Tennessee to Indianapolis. Ryan Leaf moved down the Pacific Coast to San Diego. One has consistently been a top-three quarterback in the NFL; the other is a running joke among football fans.

So now two linemen with the same surname -- one on offense, one on defense -- are being debated in the top two spots of the draft, ten years later. Both Chris, the defensive end from Virginia, and Jake, the left tackle from Michigan, should be serviceable players in the NFL.

Neither will experience the fame and greatness of Manning; neither will suffer the indignity of Leaf...

Big Ben68: Both Chris and Jake Long could be as good as Manning, both could be as bad as Leaf, or one could succeed while the other fails. Any combination of outcomes are plausible at this point in time, but since both play almost exactly opposite positions they can't truly be compared. Jake Long was a standout offensive lineman at Michigan, dominating every matchup he had (allowing one sack his senior year to Vernon Gholston--another top ten to fifteen pick). Chris Long, son of Howie Long, was an incredibly energetic pass rusher AND run stopper at defensive end for the UVA Cavaliers. Either of these players can succeed, but that COULD depend on where they go, their supporting cast, and how hard they work to improve their pro skills.

This can't compare to the Manning-Leaf debate as they don't play the same position...but they can compare to the success or failure at their respective positions.

AHNN: Onto MLB, Rich - who do you feel is the story of this young season, I know there are 184,623 games left in the season- but does anything you see so far change your preseason thoughts?

rstowe - Even though I never agreed with it, all the hype the Tigers got is now looking bad. I knew going in that their pitching would be highly suspect (especially their bullpen) and that is proving true. I'm not worried about their hitting but if they continue like this, they will be in the same boat the Yankees were last April - in such a big hole it will be damn near impossible to get out of it. I'm not to worried about the Orioles being in 1st either - that will end up being the Yanks or Sox when all is said and down.

My postseason predictions of Yanks, Sox, Indians and Angels are looking pretty good in the AL right now. My predictions for the NL don't matter anyways because they are all playing to see who will lose to the AL in the Series anyways.

Bigalke - My preseason thoughts? I have been too focused on hockey right now to even realize my fantasy stats are going down the tube...

But seriously... I wouldn't change anything about my preseason thoughts. I foresaw that the hotly-hyped new additions from the Marlins would fail to pan out as people dreamed (http://www.fannation.com/throwdowns/show/113577)...

Okay, I might take back that San Francisco pick right now (http://www.fannation.com/throwdowns/show/100558), but I like it better than my esteemed opponent's choice in that throwdown...

AHNN: Matt Ryan seems to be the hot QB right now- most likely going to the ATL - meaning it might be a LONG while before the Next QB comes off the Line ________, Do you think there will be another QB in round 1 or even 2 and then who will it be- Brian, Chad or even the Delaware product that some think might be the Best of the Bunch?

rstowe - I do agree that Ryan is the 1st QB to go (before pick 8 in the 1st round). After that, I can't see another QB going any earlier than the 2nd round and it will probably be the overhyped and overrated Brian Brohm (who got lit up against UCONN of all teams) going as the next QB taken. I don't see any QB coming out this season as being a true star in the NFL....at best they are going to be a bunch of David Carrs and Joey Harringtons. They will either be starters on really bad teams throughout their careers or career backups. I'm not impressed with any of them.

Bigalke - If a team were smart, they'd take a longer look at Dennis Dixon from here in my hometown of Eugene, Oregon. The 6'4", 205-pound quarterback from Oakland was a Heisman front-runner and a dual-nature threat a la Vince Young, guiding the Ducks to an 8-1 record and second in the BCS standings before going down with an ACL tear in a nationally-televised Thursday night game at Arizona. We cannot forget that this is a kid who had 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, a 67.7% completion percentage and 2136 yards in nine games and change...

He is the one quarterback who COULD separate himself from the pack... go to his website, www.dennisdixon10.com , to see his rehabilitation process. The site is groundbreaking in how it gives teams an all-access pass into the life of prospective employees. Dixon is a stand-up athlete, first and foremost... he was a fifth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2007 even though he hadn't played a game of baseball in three-plus years...

WILL Dixon or another quarterback go in the first two rounds besides Matt Ryan? Probably not... but will Ryan be the best of the pack? Probably not...

Dixon, Flacco (that "Delaware product") or even some obscure kid out of left field (Tom Brady, anyone?)... SOMEONE is bound to be better long-term than the oft-hyped Matt Ryan...

Big Ben: I don't think Matt Ryan should go in the first round, but Dennis Dixon and Brian Brohm will be one of the next QBs picked. I REALLY feel that Dixon is the BEST QB out of this class, but what scares teams is that ACL tear. Although Dixon is FAR ahead of schedule in rehab and could be a great QB. A good situation for him might be out in Kansas City because he'll have Tony Gonzalez, Dwayne Bowe, Larry Johnson, and a decent offensive line that will probably be improved in this draft.

Personally, I don't like Matt Ryan...if he goes in the top ten or even the first round it probably won't be a good pick in my opinion. He'll be more successful if he went later in the draft (2nd or 3rd) than if he went in the first.

Moondizzle: Matt Ryan is the consensus first round QB talent in the draft - and maybe the ONLY one to be taken. Brohm & Henne will follow in the second round most likely, in no particular order. Dixon will be in there later. I don't think Ryan has what it takes to be a star. Mark it down. His career has been lackluster compared to other players. And think about it: last year, would Brady Quinn have been sitting there waiting to be taken or Matt Ryan, if both were available. And Quinn fell badly.

rstowe, This draft class - while sub-par, will be a bunch of David Carrs and Joey Harringtons? The only way that could happen is if Ryan, Brohm, Flacco, Henne, Dixon, & Brennan were all regarded as top talent. Those guys were a disaster. These guys are slotted appropriately. If anything, they will surpass our expectations.

rstowe: Moon, what I meant by that was they would be sub-par starters or career backups that can't stay on a team....

AHNN: One of my Favorite Stories this week was the Red Sox fan placing a curse on the new Yankee Stadium (version 3.0)  by putting David Ortiz's Jersey in the ground- _____, other than putting the jersey on Jimmy Hoffa - was this funny to you and what else can Red Sox Nation do to comtinue the Fall of the Yankees?

rstowe - as a diehard Yankee fan I found this truly hilarious. I mean that takes some serious cajones to do that in New York. That guy is lucky he isn't under the new monument park like Hoffa is in the endzone in Giants Stadium (tests be damned, he's there). All he truly did was curse Ortiz - how else can you explain Big Papi's start to this season.

As for what the rest of Sox nation can do to continue the fall of the Yankees - continue being the dumbass fans they are and wait for the Patriots season to start - because that's the only team they'll be able to root for in October.

Moondizzle- Being that it was the Bronx, I'm shocked they didn't try to actually bury a Red Sox player in there altogether.

AHNN: THat might have made a stronger curse to be sure

Bigalke - Will this prove to be a curse? Would it have proved to be a curse to the Yankees had the shirt remained in the ground? Unlikely...

But it sure is hilarious!

rstowe: a Yankee fan living in Boston has to replace the Ruth jersey that was buried there in 1920 with a Jeter one (it appears to have lost its mojo).....the jersey is located inside the green monster under.....

AHNN: And now for Final Thoughts

Rstowe: My final thought is on all the Oriole and Blue Jay fans out there. It is barely 2 weeks into the season! Your teams are not that good (especially the Orioles). Brian Bannister is not a Cy Young candidate and will be out of that discussion by June if not sooner. Your teams will come back to reality. Do you really think the Red Sox and Yankees will continue in the cellar of the AL East? Do you really think the Os and Jays will finish 1 2 in the AL East? I truly believe the Os and Jays will be battling each other for the bottom of the division with the Rays solidly in 3rd. It is April people and the last time I checked the MLB season runs through September and 162 games! Brian Bannister is not a Cy Young candidate and will be out of that discussion by June if not sooner.

MoonDizzle: As a Met fan all I can say is Brian EFFING Bannister. I disagree with you here rstowe. Omar Minaya took a guy capable of pitching in any starting rotation and shipped him off to the baseball wasteland of Kansas City for a bag of baseballs, Ambiorix Burgos, and a player to be named later. That player was a tendon from a cadaver - placed right in his elbow.

Bannister showed he could play in the AL last season and pitched well. This season - while he is not a strikeout master - we are all seeing what he is capable of. Its April - but his body of work extends back to 2007. You are looking at an AL All-Star in the making. And it makes me sick to my stomach.

Mute him!

BigAlke: I want to give a shout out to all the unheralded athletes out there, the obscure athletes no one hears about in America...

Tom Boonen, who won Paris-Roubaix last Sunday for the second time in his career. Tornado Tom, the 2005 winner of the cobblestone classic known as the "Hell of the North", outkicked 2006 victor Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland in the Roubaix velodrome to hoist the cobblestone brick given out as a trophy...

Nikolai Davydenko, the Russian tennis star who defeated Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal to win the ATP tournament in Miami recently. Tennis' stars are starting the clay-court season in the run-up to the French Open at Roland Garros, and Davydenko has moved on to the next round at the ATP Estoril Open in straight sets today...

But most of all, I want to give notice to Canadian Kevin Martin, who finally won the men's World Curling Championship in a 6-3 victory over Scotland's David Murdoch. After two-plus decades of consistently coming in second at the tournament, Martin finally has rewritten his Jim Kelly legacy with a John Elway flourish... congratulations, Kevin...

And on that note, I'm out and off into the cerebral vortex, chowderheads...

AHNN: A lot has been made this week of the Sonics moving- and how sad it really is, I have long stated that if ANY team moves, for any reason the records, logo and colors should remain- so we don't get Jazz in Utah or the Lakers in LA.

The Problem is- the team still moves- I still have my Charlotte Hornets jacket on the back of my chair- my Zo Jersey hanging in my closet and my son still sleeps in it when he forgets his PJs but yet he will grow up and one day ask me why the Charlotte Jersey is Orange and not the Teal Blue like the one I have? And that's a shame- I'm still angry at Shinn for moving my team, and knowing that instead of watching the lotto this weekend I should be gearing up for CP3- a local NC product, and the Hornets playing the Hawks or the Raptors in a Hive that is going insane but instead I'm hoping to see another team rebuild - and take away my pain.

Join me Next Week for the Fannation Reporters